Improvement in ice-creepers



A. L. WILLIS.

l ce-Creepers. I VD-1601804. Patented M'archl 6,'1875.

AUGUSTUS L. WILLIS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN lCE-CREEPERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 160,804, dated March16, 1875 application filed February 5, 1875.

Toell whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, Anensrus L. WILLIS, of the city of Philadelphia,State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Ice-Creepers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exaetdescription of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing makin g part hereof.

My invention consists of the combination, in an ice-creeper, of twodisks, united by a loi'lgitudinally self-adjusting elastic and flexibleband, projecting points beneath to bite the ice, and straps for securingsaid disks to the foot; also, in an ice-creeper composed of two disks,one for the heel and one for the sole, the combination of separatestraight points for the heel, with curved serrated ridges for the sole;also, in an ice-creeper, the curved serrated ridge-plate O, stamped upor formed in one piece, having a curved set or ridge of pointed teeth,and base-plates for securing it to the disk.

The drawing shows a perspective view of my invention.

A is the sole-plate of the creeper; B, the heel-plate; O D, the teeth orpoints. 0 is a curved serrated rid ge-plate, showing the teeth, likesaw-teeth, and base-plates for securing it to the removable sole-disk.It is stamped up from one piece of sheet metal; E, a rubber strip,connecting the sole and heel pieces; F, a rubber strap, to pass over thetoe of the boot to secure the sole-piece; G, a rubber strap passingaround the instep, and secured to the heel clasp or socket-at one endrigizlly, and at the other end by hook L and loop K to secure theheel-piece to the heel; H, a clasp or socket, to receive the heel of theboot; I, a cushion of rubber or leather, to intervene between the bootand plate A; J, a similar cushion for the heel.

The elastic strap E may be secured, as shown at J, between two layers ofcushions, or, at I, between the plate A and the cushion, with rubber,paste, or glue, or by rivets. The

teeth or points 0 and D, respectively, may be cast in one piece with therespective plates A and B, of cast-steel; or they may be struck up by astamp or die, as shown at G, and afterward sharpened; or the die maystrike them up with the ragged edges. In such case the plates aresecured to the respective cushions by riveting; or they may be screwedthrough washers, as at D, where the screw is passed through the cushionJ, the head remaining on the inside, and the thread of the screw passingthrough a screw-thread in the washers.

The advantage of a screw over other methods is, that as the point wearsdown, there is always a sharp ridge on the side of the screw, which, asthe point sinks into the ice, always catches and prevents slipping.

This ridge, instead of being spiral, as in the case of the screw, may bestraight down, in which case the point has to be riveted, instead ofbeing secured in place by the thread in the washers.

The elastic or rubber band E enables the creeper to be fitted to shoesof different sizes, and by its tension assists in keeping the parts inplace.

The elastic or rubber band G possesses the same advantage of fitting alarger or smaller instep, and the arrangement of the hook L and loop Kprevents its tearing.

The heel clasp or socket H fits neatly around the heel, and adds much tothe security of the plate B in place, as well as to prevent the snow anddirt from getting between cushion J and the heel of the boot.

The ridges or teeth G are curved for greater strength, and their beingplaced diagonally across the bottom of plate A in different directionsis a feature which, in itself, assists materially inpreventing thewearer from slipping, for no matter in which direction there is atendency to slide, some of the ridges oppose an edge to prevent it.

The disks and straps or bands are made of rubber of about the densityand strength of that used in ordinary rubber shoes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In an ice-creeper, the combination oftwo disks, united by a longitudinally self-adjusting elastic andflexible band, projecting points beneath to bite the ice, and straps forsecuring said disks to the foot, substantially as described.

2. In an ice-creeper composed of two disks, piece, having a curved setor ridge of pointed one for the heeland one for the sole, the 00111-teeth, and base-plates for securing it to the bination of separatestraight points for the disk, substantially as described.

heel with curved serrated ridges for the sole, AUGUSTUS L. WILLIS.substantially as described. Witnesses:

3. In an ice-creeper, the curved serrated GEORGE E. BUCKLEY,

ridge-plate O, stamped up or formed in one ALBERT EL ZAOHERLE.

